Beth Brodsky, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
I have 25 years of experience successfully treating people with high risk and treatment resistant illness, people who don't always respond well to or feel helped by psychotherapy. I have been taught and trained by Dr. Marsha Linehan and am an adherent DBT therapist. This means that I am trained to tolerate intense emotional experience within a psychotherapy treatment, and am skilled in evidence-based practice to reduce suicidal and self-harm behaviors. I balance hands-on concern with a calm, collaborative and transparent approach. I am also a scientist-practitioner who conducts research and teaches other clinicians how to conduct DBT psychotherapy. I have written numerous articles, book chapters and a book about borderline personality disorder, suicidal and self-injurious behaviors, and DBT.
I assist individuals in clarifying their goals and encourage a collaborative effort to work together to achieve them. We learn how to track thoughts, feelings and behaviors (both skillful and unskillful) in order to become more aware and to make positive changes. I take a very matter of fact, nonjudgmental approach. I cheerlead and support in doing the hard work of making changes, and encourage those I work with to cheerlead themselves. I teach DBT skills. Mindfulness skills are for learning how to control the mind, to be present in life and to cultivate a nonjudgmental attitude. There are also skills for learning how to tolerate distress without engaging in destructive behaviors, for improving interpersonal interactions, and for learning about emotions and how to control them.